1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric radiator having a heating body embedded in a light alloy unit.
2. Background and Material Information
The present invention acts as either a primary or supplemental heat source for all types of environments, including apartments, houses, offices, stores, or other private or professional premises.
Under the current design of heating systems, it is difficult to control and optimize energy consumption in large installations. As a result, self-contained individual units have become the preferred method of heat over central heating systems, except for hospitals and hotels.
The three most commonly used sources of energy for heating systems are fuel oil, gas and electricity. Electricity has numerous advantages over the other two, including versatility, cleanliness, comfort, ease of adjustment and programming, low investment, etc.; however, the cost of electric power is substantially higher than the other two types of energy. This has motivated the development of "integrated heating", which utilizes electric heaters in an environment which is insulated properly. Specifically, in order to save energy, new buildings are well-insulated, and electricity is the preferred source of energy to provide heat.
Heating units are generally in the form of radiator units which include a casing of metal provided with an inlet and outlet for air passage. A single electric resistance, which is often associated with wings or baffles, increases the heat exchange surface and/or directs the air flow. The control mechanism is typically a thermostat integrated in the unit, although more developed systems may be used, such as a zone thermostat, exterior thermostat, programming or power cut-off device.
Current electric radiators have two particular disadvantages.
First, the control is typically an on-off control between two nearly equal temperatures ("differential"). In this design, the heat source is alternately shut-off and cold, then connected at its maximum temperature. Recent studies have shown that the "impression" of the heat does not "feel" like the preferred temperature, but rather makes the heated environment feel closer to the lower temperature. As a result, users often set the thermostat several degrees above the desired temperature, wasting a significant amount of electricity.
Second, while numerous public awareness campaigns encourage saving energy, most people who have a graduated thermostat set it to 19.degree. or 20.degree. C. (which are the generally recommended values). However, users of hot water heaters controlled by non-graduated taps are often satisfied with substantially lower temperatures, which do not provide the same "feel" of being cold as noted above.